


An Unexpected Love

by orphan_account



Series: Laurel's Love [1]
Category: Arrow (TV 2012)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-08-26
Updated: 2013-09-06
Packaged: 2017-12-24 17:30:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 584
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/942684
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Laurel's unexpected relationship with Tommy, starting after Oliver "died" and ending with Tommy dying.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Preface

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by this quote:
> 
> “What are you supposed to do with all the love you have for somebody if that person is no longer there? What happens to all that leftover love? Do you suppress it? Do you ignore it? Are you supposed to give it to someone else?” -Maggie O’Farrell
> 
> I interpret Tommy to be Laurel's "great love".

After the accident, she spent 6 months locked away, cut off from the world. She’d lost her sister and her boyfriend in the same moment, forever changing her life. Her parents didn’t know how to deal with it, and avoided dealing with it in very different ways.

Laurel just shut down. She was physically there for her family, but mentally, emotionally, she was far away. She was alone.

Except she wasn’t.

Tommy Merlyn, her boyfriend’s best friend, was there too. Even when she didn’t want him to be. Before the accident, Tommy was a playboy and a trouble maker. But after… It was like he made helping Laurel his mission in life.

She would often wonder why he bothered. It wasn’t like he owed her anything. Sure, they’d been friendly before the accident, but they hadn’t been close. She figured he felt he owed it to Oliver.

Maybe it had started out that way, but it had long passed simple obligation.

She opened her eyes to gaze at Tommy’s sleeping form next to her. They’d been doing this thing, whatever it was, for almost 8 months. It had taken them so long to get here.

She ran a finger down his spine, gently, careful not to wake him. His bare skin was warm. Like Tommy always was. Full of life. Full of love- for her. The Tommy that slept next to her was so different from the Tommy she’d known 4 years ago. He’d changed. She’d changed. They’d grown together, through their grief.

Oliver was what bound them in the beginning, but he wasn’t what kept them together now. They both loved him, always would, but they’d accepted the past. They were looking towards the future.

Laurel smiled as she leaned in closer to Tommy, and placed a soft kiss on his back.

_Together._


	2. Chapter 2

A frantic knocking on her door woke her up a little before 1pm. It was Tommy. She groaned, and opened the door.

"Tommy, I-"

He held up a hand. "No excuses. We're going to the zoo."

"The zoo?", Laurel asked impatiently. "Tommy, I don't want to go to the zoo. I don't want to go anywhere."

"I know", Tommy told her, voice firm. "Neither do I. But I happen to know that you love birds, and they are having a big exhibit of rare one at the zoo today. You will enjoy yourself, even if you don't want to."

Laurel frowned. "What about you? You don't like birds."

He shrugged. "Your passion is oftentimes contagious. I bet I'll like birds fine by the end of the day." He grinned at her charmingly, and she felt a warming in her chest.

Tommy always surprised her with his sweetness. For a rich playboy trouble maker, he was a true friend. She knew he was mourning Oliver as strongly as she was, but here he stood. Convincing her to have fun.

"Fine", she acquiesced. "Let's go see the birds."

By the end of the exhibit she was keeling over from laughter. "You should have seen your face!", she told Tommy.

He was blushing red, and staring at her in mock murderous contemplation. The small smile on his face told her he was glad she was enjoying herself, even at his expense.

"That bird could have killed me", he protested.

Laurel was hit by another laughing fit, and could only shake her head.

"C'mon, Merlyn", she said when her voice returned to her. "I'll buy you some ice cream to make you feel better."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A note about the quote that inspired this series- I interpret Tommy as Laurel's "great love". I think she believed it to be Oliver, but only after Tommy dies does she realize that it was actually Tommy.

**Author's Note:**

> I'm hoping to continue and expand this to explore Laurel's relationship with Tommy after Oliver's accident, and then her relationship with Oliver after Tommy's death.
> 
> felicityholysmoak.tumblr.com


End file.
